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What to Look For in a Physician Recruiter

A good physician recruiter...

- Measures his success by your own. A good physician recruiter's first priority is helping you make a successful career transition. This means making sure you have all the right information to make a good choice in your job search. Even if you ultimately decide to stay in your current position or to accept one that your recruiter doesn't represent, he has still succeeded - because you have.

- Listens to you. A good physician recruiter tunes in, draws you out, asks you the right questions and hears your answers. Here's a quick gut-check to do after a conversation with your recruiter: do you feel understood? If not, or if your recruiter does more talking than listening, it's time to find a new one.

- Talks to you. A good physician recruiter answers all your questions, perhaps even a few important ones you hadn't thought to ask. He keeps you informed every step of your search and helps you consider all the various aspects of a prospective job. He gives you insight on interacting with specific employers to boost your success in interviews.

- Knows your specialty. A good physician recruiter is a specialist in your specialty, as it were, and is hard-wired to the nuances of its job market. He not only knows the market you're searching in, he's an expert on the total environment each opportunity exists in: its financial realities, geographic region, cost of living, quality of life, practice workload - all the things that add up to a satisfactory employment situation.

- Lets you drive. A good recruiter only sends your CV with your express permission, rather than relying on the shotgun effect to get your CV in front of as many people as possible. Each position he submits you for is hand-selected based on criteria you've given him and what he knows of your goals and expectations.

- Isn't shy. Your recruiter is your agent - your foot in the door with employers you'd most like to work with. A good physician recruiter knows how to keep those doors open for you and to approach new ones without hesitation. He's confident without being overbearing; extroverted without being impolite.

- Respects your time. A good physician recruiter knows not to waste your time. This means he knows how to hold effective, on-track conversations with you, doesn't bother you with jobs that he knows are a bad fit, and is sensitive to your working schedule.

- Is accessible. On the other hand, you should feel as if you can contact your recruiter at any time to share information or concerns about your job search. Not every two personalities on the planet will mesh, but you and your recruiter should be able to connect and communicate easily. A good recruiter returns calls and emails promptly, and shares new information about your job search readily.

- Is connected. While a great deal of a physician recruiter's success depends on what he knows, perhaps an equal portion depends on whom he knows. He has taken the time to cultivate longterm, meaningful business relationships with prospective employers as well as with physicians like yourself. As a result, he often learns of pending opportunities before they are officially published, knows details about positions that can be helpful to you evaluating offers, and is skilled in using these connections to the benefit of employer and physician alike.

- Can turn on a dime. It's a reality of physician recruitment that job availability and employer needs change quickly; your goals in the course of your job search may change as well. A good physician recruiter is never thrown by a change of direction. He knows how to move forward to the next opportunity, and to help you transition there easily as well.